Seyi Makinde did not send any condolence message since my husband's death- Florence Ajimobi

Mrs Florence Ajimobi, wife of the deceased former Governor of Oyo State, yesterday, accused the Oyo State government of playing politics with her husband’s death.

Following the burial of her husband’s remains amid tight security at his Oluyole residence yesterday, she also accused Governor Seyi Makinde of not calling her or paying a condolence visit to her since Ajimobi’s death last Thursday.

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Earlier, the place of burial of the former governor had generated a heated controversy. It was gathered that the Oyo State Government had been reluctant in allowing the Ajimobi family to bury the body at Agodi GRA due to a pending court case.

Meanwhile, Mrs Florence Ajimobi advised Governor Makinde to avoid playing politics with the death of her husband. According to her, “I read in the newspapers a few days ago that the governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, claimed to call me and I didn’t pick up, he never visited Ajimobi’s family since my husband was admitted in the hospital, neither has he sent anyone nor sent us a message.

“I don’t have his contact and I have never spoken to him. Even if he called me and I didn’t pick up because of my mourning state, he could have sent me a message.

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“Ajimobi’s family is not competing with him in any way, we are all working for the growth, development and progress of Oyo State, although our party might be different, we are working for the same goal. “Do I need to send an official message to the governor to inform him about the death of my husband before he could send us a condolence message or pay us a condolence visit? It is not pleasant to hearings. What kind of politics are we playing?

 “As a former public chief servant, who had assiduously served this state, he deserved some honour and not a show of shame when he had gone to rest. He never planned to go this soon; it could have been anybody as no one knows the next moment.”

In a show of respect to the former governor, the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi, paid a condolence visit to the family. Speaking on behalf of the governors, Fayemi, sympathised and prayed for the repose of the deceased’s soul. Other governors, who visited include Umar Ganduje (Kano), Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi) and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa).

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The Oyo State Government has however denied insinuations that it was responsible for the delay in burying the immediate past governor. The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, stated that the insinuations amounted to a wicked lie.

His statement read: “In view of the intense enquiries from news media organisations regarding the perceived delay in burying the late former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the Oyo State Government wishes to place on record that there is no truth in the rumour making the rounds that the burial is being delayed by the state government.”

“The rumour, which is being deliberately spread to give the state government a bad name  and to play undue politics with the dead, initially came by the way of social media gossip, which gained traction to attract the attention of traditional media outfits.

“Several media outfits reached out to the Media Office of the Governor of Oyo State to make enquiries on this barefaced lie on Saturday. Let it be stated clearly that the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has played no role at all in causing any delay whatsoever regarding the burial of his immediate predecessor, Senator Ajimobi.

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“The truth of the matter is that the family, through a proxy, approached the state government and sought approval to bury the late governor on a plot of land at Agodi GRA, which is currently under litigation. Incidentally, it was the same former Governor Ajimobi who instituted the legal action. Governor Seyi Makinde had no choice than to state the facts as they are to the emissaries and turn down the request.

“Governor Makinde, however,  against the established land use rule in Oyo State, gave approval that the family can bury the late governor in his Oluyole Estate residence. “It is to be noted that the rules guiding land use in Government Reservation Areas (GRA) forbid the burial of bodies in such locations as Oluyole Estate and Agodi GRA.

“Let us also put on record that whereas the family did not follow the laid down protocols in passing information on the sickness and eventual demise of  Senator Ajimobi, Governor Makinde overlooked all that and directed the full cooperation of the government with the family on this matter.

“It can only amount to a wicked lie to insinuate that the incumbent government in Oyo State attempted to obstruct the burial of the immediate past governor.”
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